Kick old habits to the kerb: Research reveals the stuffy office traditions finance professionals want to get rid of this year

Are you fed up of certain outdated traditions that still crop up in the workplace? Most of us have experienced frustration with this at some point, whether it’s tedious meetings, lengthy tea rounds or even the flexible working debate. In fact, new research from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, has found that four in ten (39%) finance professionals think these stuffy office traditions need to be abandoned.

The survey of over 1,200 UK professionals sought to understand what exactly are these practices that workers in this sector want to see banished, with the top ten outdated traditions for finance professionals emerging as follows:

9-5 working hours (56.3%)

Having to work in the office everyday(50.1%)

Long meetings (43.8%)

Having to call in when sick (instead of texting or emailing) (31.3%)

Professional dress codes (25.4%)

Annual performance reviews (25.1%)

Signing birthday cards for every employee (21.8%)

Set workspaces (18.6%)

Set lunch hours (10.4%)

Employee of the month schemes (6.3%)

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments: “It’s no surprise that the 9-5 working day is viewed as the most outdated tradition. Flexible working in lieu of these traditional working hours is a particularly hot topic right now and is something that candidates should seriously consider when searching for work.”

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Although 17.1% of finance professionals believe that it’s up to businesses to decide if they want to hold onto outdated traditions, the majority (78%) agree that businesses need to reconsider outdated traditions in the office. If companies fail to update the way they run their workplace, nearly half (48.8%) of workers in the industry said they’d leave to join a more modern company.

Biggins continues: “In an increasingly candidate-driven market, employees should be aware of their power to influence change in the workspace. Stuffy office traditions can have a strong impact on morale and if you don’t feel as if your employer acknowledges this, it could be worth exploring employment with a company that’s more receptive to your needs.

“However, you shouldn’t be put off by companies that don’t offer exactly what you’re looking for. It’s great to know what you want from your workplace, but sometimes finding a happy medium is the best option.”